Blue
by Silver-WhiteKyurem
Summary: Every day is the same for young Shinigami Ronald Knox. Work, party, sleep, repeat. So, when a new recruit joins the Dispatch, that schedule changes. What's up with this strange, music-loving young woman? And why is she so terrified of going out at night? What is her secret?
1. Chapter 1

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**Blue**

**Chapter 1**

**The Daily Grind**

Ronald Knox grinned and waved as he walked past the Administrative Department, winking at the ladies seated at their desks. Ronald was popular with the ladies; he always had been. He supposed it was his boyish looks and fun-loving personality. It didn't really matter to him. All that mattered was enjoying the exceptionally long life he had been granted as a Shinigami. The orange and brown haired young man would look like a teenager forever, a thought that made his grin wider.

The young Shinigami's grin faded as he passed through the doors and into the Dispatch Society. He readjusted the lawnmower Death Scythe he carried over his shoulder and greeted the other Shinigami in the room with a curt nod. The atmosphere immediately changed whenever he entered this room. Everyone was so serious here, and it drove Ronald up the wall with boredom.

The only other Shinigami in the room at the moment were Alan Humphries and Eric Slingby, both of whom were Ronald's superiors. Alan, tall, thin, with short brown hair and the vibrant green-yellow eyes of all Shinigami, sat at his desk reading over what looked like a report. It probably had to do with rising death rates caused by the Summer outbreak of disease in the human world. Eric, taller and more built than Alan, with longer black hair, was typing quickly on his company computer; probably writing a report on the same thing Alan was more than likely reading. William T. Spears, the stern Shinigami who acted as the boss for their area of the dispatch, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's William at?" Ronald asked, sitting at his own desk and ruffling through the stack of paperwork that had been left there, no doubt by their "boss."

"Went for a coffee. He was trying to get away from Grell, but of course the idiot followed him." Eric smirked.

Ronald chuckled at that. Grell Sutcliffe, the last member of their branch of the dispatch, was the most flamboyant person he had ever met. He loved to follow William around and prattle on and on about their nonexistent love and passion. When he wasn't drooling over Will, he was swooning and gushing about a demon named Sebastian he had met years ago. Both were disgusting tirades to have to listen to, yet it persisted. It was just something that happened daily at the Shinigami Dispatch Society.

A low click alerted the small group to the return of the two who were missing. William, a thin man who always wore his dark hair slicked back, entered first with an irritated look across his face. He used the end of his Death Scythe, a kind of spear with a clamp at the end, to push his glasses up his nose as Grell swaggered in after him, his cheeks flushed. Grell was noticeably shorter than the others, but still wouldn't be considered short by human standards. The only Shinigami that didn't wear a simple black suit, he preferred a bright red jacket and black pants instead. It matched perfectly with his outrageously long, blood-red hair and red-rimmed glasses.

"Ronald, you have some souls to collect today. I suggest you get going, or you'll be working overtime." William spoke evenly, having gotten very good at controlling his emotions over the years.

"Ooh, you're as cold as ever! Bossing the kid around without so much as a hello! It makes me weak in the knees!" Grell gushed, grinning widely and flashing his shark-like teeth.

"I suggest you strengthen your knees and get moving. You have souls to collect today, too." Will growled at him, doing his best to ignore him otherwise.

"Oh, you're so mean!" Grell pouted, following Will to his office.

Ronald and the others sighed, and Ronald stood and pulled the list of souls to be collected today out of his pocket. He opened it quickly and looked over it before groaning; there were 16 people set for him to reap. "Looks like it's another busy day." he griped.

"Yeah, well, we're understaffed. Until we get at least one more person, we're all going to be busy for many days to come. I suggest you hurry up before Will comes out here and scolds you." Alan warned lightly.

"Yes, senpai." Ronald nodded respectfully and jogged from the room quickly.

The building was getting fairly busy by now. Shinigami in black business suits passed by in groups, carrying papers, Death Scythes, and other items associated with the business of collecting souls. Their glasses flashed in the buzzing lights overhead; Shinigami were notoriously near-sighted, and had to wear glasses to do their jobs.

Ronald allowed his smile to return once he had finally gotten out of the building. It was a warm and sunny day outside, the kind of day that always cheered him up when work had brought him down. He looked over the list of souls again, just to make sure that he had all of the times right, before rushing to get to work.

Several hours later, the weary young Shinigami was perched atop a church roof, waiting for the evening service to end. His last soul of the day, that of an elderly man named Don Fisher, was sitting inside. He was scheduled to die after a long, difficult battle with cancer. Sadness crept into Ronald's heart as he looked over the man's information. He had been a devoted carpenter before the disease made him too weak to do his job. He was a loving husband, caring father, and compassionate grandfather. He enjoyed golfing, reading, and spending time with his family. He was devout in his faith; yet, he was going to die minutes after walking out of the great wooden doors of the church.

The ringing of the church bell violently shook Ronald from his thoughts, and he covered his ears as the deep tolls rolled from the giant bell behind him. He squinted and looked down, watching as people began to filter out of the church. Then there was the target, shuffling slowly out of the building and out into the cool night air. He was alone; apparently his family had decided not to attend service that night. Ronald sighed. At least there wouldn't be anyone to see him. However, it had to be terribly lonely to die all by oneself.

Don Fisher turned a corner and began on his way home. He walked slowly, hunched over, and it was clear that he was in pain. Ronald glanced at the watch he wore on his left wrist. It was 8:04. Don was scheduled to die at 8:07. He had three minuted left to live. He wouldn't even make it to the end of the street.

Ronald was right. Halfway down the abandoned street, the elderly man collapsed to his knees, groaning loudly in pain. The fatal disease was finally going to win, as it often seemed to do. The Shinigami jumped from his place on the roof and ran to the man's side, carrying his Death Scythe over his shoulder. The man looked up at him with milky gray eyes which seemed to be pleading for help. Ronald tried to still his racing heart and swallow the tears he was struggling not to make. This was the hardest part of his job. The eyes of the dead had long ago begun to haunt his dreams, for he was not able to help them.

"Young man...please...help me...my wife lives not far from here, on Fifth Street. If you...run..." the dying man panted at him softly, his life already fading.

"I'm sorry." Ronald offered sorrowfully.

The man seemed to be confused until he caught sight of Ronald's lawnmower, which the Shinigami was lowering close to him.

"So it's true, then. Shinigami exist...I never believed in those old legends..." the man gasped.

Ronald gave him a small smile.

"Rest well, sir." he muttered before revving the lawnmower and thrusting it onto the man's body.

The man cried out loudly in pain before falling still. Long tendrils of what looked like transparent film rose from the body and swayed around Ronald. The Shinigami's eyes narrowed a bit at this; it was the man's Cinematic Record, his memories preserved in movie-like clarity. Ronald collected them quickly in Don Fisher's file, and all traces of life left the man's body; he was dead.

Ronald cast another glance at his watch and sighed.

"8:07. Just another day at the Dispatch Society."

**A new fic about Ronald Knox! A friend of mine found a Kuroshitsuji zodiac, and I found out that I am Ronald Knox! I'm a Scorpio, by the way, for anyone who's curious. Anyway, I adore Ronald, so I decided to write a fic for him since my last fic with him in it had a sad ending. Poor Ronnie! Hope you Silverlings like it!**

**~Silver**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**New Life at the Dispatch**

"Everyone, before you get to work, I want to make an announcement. We'll be having a new recruit joining our department shortly."

Alan, Eric, Ronald, and Grell looked up at William sharply, as if making sure they had heard him correctly. Seeing that there had been no mistake, their faces broke out into grins.

"Finally, it's been getting boring here with just us and all of this paperwork." Eric said happily.

"Agreed. So, who is he?" Alan asked curiously.

"It's not some man you'll love more than _me, _is it!?" Grell asked, earning a shudder of revulsion from the others.

"For starters, it's not a man. Our new recruit is a woman." William answered, adjusting his glasses.

The others sat in stunned silence for several seconds. There were, of course, female Shinigami. There were plenty of them. However, they usually worked in the Administrative or Human Resources Departments. They were perceived as being to sensitive to emotion to work in the Dispatch, the groups that actually collected the souls.

"Are you sure about this?" Alan asked, looking concerned.

"Yes. In fact, I'm more sure of her ability than the abilities of anyone else here. She got A's in all three of her exam scores. That's an A in physical reaping, an A in writing, and an A in ethics. That's better even than I did. I am quite sure of her ability." William answered sternly, making sure that everyone got the point before returning to his office.

As soon as William's door had closed, the four men looked at one another with concern.

"Sounds like she did well on the exam, and that's a physical reaping. If she can handle that then she's qualified to work here, after all." Eric said slowly, sounding more like he was trying to reassure himself than them.

"Yeah, that's right. The exam is no easy task." Ronald added, glancing at the door.

"And it'll be nice to have someone to talk girl things with!" Grell grinned happily.

A few minutes of silent anticipation passed before the door finally swung open. The group turned quickly, eager to see the new Shinigami. A young woman walked slowly through the door, blushing a deep scarlet when she noticed them all staring at her. She had short dark brown hair and vibrant green eyes, and work a simple dark blue suit and equally blue glasses. She wore a pair of giant blue headphones around her neck, with a cord that ran to one of her jacket pockets. She carried her employee report in one hand, and a dark blue and silver electric key-tar in the other.

"Uhm, this is the Dispatch Society, right?" she asked in a light, nervous voice.

"Of course dear! Oh, look at you! You're adorable! And what's with the key-tar?" Grell asked, jumping up and walking up to get a closer look at it.

"That's what I was wondering."

William had walked out of his office once he noticed her presence, and was looking intently at the guitar.

"Oh, i-it's just my Death Scythe. I got it approved and everything!" she added quickly, noticing William's pensive look.

"I don't see and blades on it." Alan said, leaning over his desk to get a better look at the instrument.

The young woman smiled and pressed a key close to the neck of the key-tar, and sharp blades popped out of one side with a loud rasp. The group grinned at the strange scythe.

"That's pretty cool." Ronald said in awe, grinning brilliantly at her.

"Thanks." she replied, turning a deeper red.

"Alright, everyone. This is Mrs. Ashling Hauwlsul. Help her out if she needs it. For today, we'll just have you doing paperwork. Your report please." William said quickly, holding his hand out to her.

"Right, here you are, Mr. Spears." Ashling replied quickly, handing the report to him.

William flipped through it quickly and lifted an eyebrow.

"You can just call me William, or Will if you like. It says here you can't go out on reapings during the middle of the moon phases. Why is that?" he asked curiously.

"Ah, uhm, it's not safe." she replied quietly, blushing again.

"Is that so? You're a Shinigami, you shouldn't be scared of the dark, or the moon."

Ashling looked up at him shyly and sighed.

"There are things out there, in the dark and under the moon, that everyone should be afraid of, William." she said softly.

William sighed and nodded curtly before turning and striding back into his office. The others watched as Ashling walked to her new desk, which had been set up next to Grell's. She sat quickly and leaned her key-tar against the wall before grabbing the first report off of her desk. The room was quiet for a couple of hours, but soon they had run out of things to look over. It was a slow day, and there were not any souls scheduled for reaping that day. Ronald glanced over at Ashling, and smirked when he noticed that she had slipped her headphones onto her ears. She was bobbing her head slightly to the beat of the music, and he had to wave to get her attention. She immediately slipped the headphones off and looked at him curiously.

"What is it, senpai?" she asked anxiously.

Ronald blinked at that, realizing that he wasn't the youngest in the group anymore. He grinned wider.

"We never got to introduce ourselves. My name's Ronald Knox." he said with his signature charming smile.

"Ooh, right! I'm Grell Sutcliffe!" Grell chirped happily.

"Eric Slingby." Eric said calmly.

"And my name's Alan Humphries. Nice to meet you." Alan added quickly.

Ashling blushed softly and smiled at them.

"It's nice to meet all of you, too." she said softly.

"So, about the key-tar...can you actually play it?" Ronald asked curiously.

"Hn? Oh, yes sir. Would you like for me to?" Ashling asked, reaching out to place her small hand on it tentatively.

"Please. And you don't have to call me sir, or senpai. Just Ronald."

"Yes, Ronald."

Ashling stood up and picked the instrument up, throwing the strap across her shoulders. She pressed a few of the keys softly, and it played a few ringing notes. The other Shinigami gave her encouraging nods before she began to play.

She began a slow, somewhat sad sounding song, closing her eyes as she got more into the music. After a moment they were surprised to hear her singing quietly to herself. They listened happily to her, and clapped when she finished a few minutes later.

"That was brilliant!" Eric said with a grin.

"Yes, absolutely wonderful! Sent chills up my spine~!" Grell gushed, blushing softly.

"That was awesome!" Ronald added quickly, not at all sure how to respond.

"Yes, very well done, Mrs. Hauwlsul, but I suggest you all get back to work or it's unpaid overtime."

William was leaning against his door frame, looking at them sternly.

"We're all done with everything. Today was a slow day." Alan said quickly, seeing the nervous look on Ashling's face.

William lifted an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" he asked.

The others nodded quickly, and William sighed.

"Unusual, but very well. Why not play some more for us, then, Ashling?"

Ashling smiled and nodded before beginning a more lively tune. It was a new day at the Dispatch, and things were looking up for her. She smiled wider and sang to herself, glad to have finally gotten into the Shinigami Dispatch Society. She had been looking forward to this for months. As long as she stayed out of the light of the moon's middle phase, nothing could ruin her happiness. Nothing.

**Okay, a little bit of explaining here. For those of you who don't know what a Key-tar is, it's similar to a keyboard but is attached to a strap and held like a guitar. They're pretty cool. Ashling is an Irish name, and Hauwlsul is something I made up. It's pronounced "Howl-soul". Hope you enjoyed this little introductory chapter!**

**~Silver**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Her First Reaping **

Ashling bobbed her head slightly as she read over the report William had brought to her. Alan and Ronald were in their places as well, looking bored out of their minds. It was clear that they would rather be doing what Grell and Eric were out doing; reaping souls. Even that was better than paperwork, though it was a terribly sad business.

Ashling sighed and stamped the report before dropping it into her finished pile and reaching for another one. She muffled a yawn and readjusted her headphones before beginning, mouthing the words silently to herself.

"26 souls collected from the vicinity of London over week 22 of the calendar year as sickness rates begin to drop..."

A light tap on her shoulder roused her attention, and she looked up sharply to see William standing above her. She quickly removed her headphones and slid her glasses farther up her nose at her superior's cold stare.

"You're going out into the field today, Ashling. There's one soul I need you to collect. Here is the file." he said smoothly, holding a small black folder out to her.

Ashling stood and took the file, doing her best to suppress a grin. She had been in the department for a week and a half, and was eager to show her superiors what she could _really _do. William nodded and started back to his office, but paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Ronald, go with her. In case she needs help." he said sternly before disappearing into his office.

Ashling smiled and slung her key-tar over her shoulder, glancing over at Ronald. He was smiling softly and stretching, rolling his lawnmower out from behind his desk. Alan sighed and rolled his eyes at them, slumping back in his chair.

"Augh, dammit. You two get to go off and collect a soul and I'm stuck here alone reading reports." he groaned impatiently.

"It'll be okay, Alan senpai. Grell senpai will be back soon." Ashling giggled at the disgusted look that crossed the Shinigami's face, and Ronald smirked at her.

"Come on, we should get going." Ronald said quickly, before Alan could retort.

Ashling nodded and ran from the room eagerly, followed by a grinning Ronald. They raced from the building, stopping once they were several feet from the sliding glass doors of the entrance. Ashling opened the file William had given her and looked over it carefully, reading parts of it aloud.

"His name's Andre Kenning... he's 34 years of age...is separated from his wife, who got angry at him when she discovered that he was selling drugs on the streets. Cause of death; hit by a runaway car. Time; 3:26." she read softly, a small frown crossing her face.

Ronald glanced at his watch and sighed.

"We had better hurry up, then. It's 2:30 now. Come on, we'll take the lawnmower express." he said quickly, standing on the back of the small red push-mower.

Ashling blushed softly and slid the file into a pocket on her suit before walking up behind the Shinigami. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to him tightly as the lawnmower started up. Ronald grinned and kicked a pedal on the Death Scythe, and it roared to life and sped forward loudly. Ashling clung tightly to Ronald as the device carried them quickly through the streets and to their destination; a lightly-populated street in London.

The two Shinigami took their places on a roof overlooking the street and waited. As the minutes passed the street began to empty, until there were only a few shady-looking characters leaning against the side of a building left. A moment later, a tall, thin man with black hair and brown eyes walked out of a different building. Ashling sighed softly.

"That's him. The car should come by shortly." she said as the group of shady characters met him in the middle of the street.

"I guess those people are druggies going to him for a fix." Ronald stated observantly, watching as they handed the target small wads of money.

Ashling simply nodded as Andre gave them their drugs, and the group walked back to their place at the building. Andre turned to leave, but a loud rattling caught his attention. A car was barreling down the street, its blue sides flashing in the Sun as it sped closer to the startled man. Ashling looked away as it made contact with the target, the loud thunk enough for her to know it had happened. The druggies cried out loudly as the car sped from the scene, then decided to run away themselves, leaving Andre completely alone.

Ashling and Ronald jumped from their places and landed lightly on the ground, and Ashling ran quickly to the dying man's side. He lay in a pool of blood, and looked up at her fearfully as Ronald joined her. She quickly shoved the file into Ronald's hands and knelt by the man's side. Her face sorrowful.

"You're dying, Andre. But you aren't dying alone." she whispered, standing slowly and popping the blades out of her key-tar.

"My wife..." he groaned sadly.

Ashling thought for a moment before speaking.

"She forgives you, Andre. She told me to tell you...she forgives you, and understands why you were doing it. She wanted me to let you know, before you died, that it's all going to be okay." she said soothingly to him.

Ronald's eyes went wide at the blatant lie, but Ashling ignored him. Andre watched her silently for a moment, then allowed a small smile to cross his dry lips.

"Thank you..." he muttered, closing his eyes.

Ashling didn't reply. She raised the key-tar, bringing the bladed end down quickly into the man's stomach. His Cinematic Record spewed from his body, and Ronald quickly collected it into his file. Once it was done, Andre's body lay still in the middle of the road, a soft smile still across his face. Ronald looked up at Ashling curiously.

"Why did you tell him his wife forgave him? That was a lie." he asked.

"I can't imagine the pain of dying alone, let alone with the guilt and pain of knowing that the one you love is so angry at you. If you're going to die, it should be as reassuring a death as possible. I want to make every soul I reap resigned and reassured before I take it. Death should be no more painful than necessary." Ashling answered softly, looking into Ronald's eyes with sadness in her own.

"He knew you were lying." Ronald said softly.

"Yes, but it was a nice thought anyway, and that's all he needed. Someone to understand and comfort him before he died. I've heard that the eyes of the dead come to haunt Shinigami in their sleep. If they're going to haunt me, at least I will have known that I did my best to give them comfortable deaths."

Ronald watched her in awe for a moment, stunned by her understanding and compassion. After a few moments, he sighed and revved his lawnmower up again.

"Come on. We need to take the file back to William. I imagine Alan is getting very tired of Grell's prattle by now." he said with a grin.

Ashling nodded and wrapped her arms around him again, smiling softly as they started back to the Dispatch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Conflicting Interests**

Days had passed since the first reaping, and by now William was finally allowing Ashling to collect souls by herself. She collected them efficiently, which was all William really cared about. When Ronald had told him and the others about her ideal of comforting the dying, there had been concern that she would bring souls in late. However, this never happened. She was always on time, turning in her files with music blaring in her ears.

At the present moment, Ashling was out in the streets, tracking down the last soul of the day. The cause of death for the young woman was listed as murder, which saddened the Shinigami quite a bit. She hadn't collected the soul of a murder victim yet, and wasn't completely sure how to comfort the woman when she found her. Car crashes, disease, old age; all were easy enough to handle. But cold-blooded murder was something else entirely. It was one human maliciously and purposefully slaying another. There was little comfort in such a death.

Ashling turned the corner into the back alley where the young woman's body was reported to be found. There she was, gasping for breath and leaning against a dumpster. However, she wasn't the only one in the alley. Her murderer was there as well, and it wasn't a human.

Ashling found herself staring, stunned, into the burning red eyes of a demon. The creature, disguised as a tall, handsome human man with long blonde hair, hissed angrily at her, and she felt as if her heart had stopped and melted into her shoes. The demon glared at her and bared its teeth, flexing its blood-covered fingers threateningly.

"Get out of here, Shinigami." it growled at her hungrily; it was clear that this beast hadn't fed in ages.

Ashling shuddered, then stood up strait and popped the blades out of her Death Scythe, glaring angrily at the creature.

"You are not supposed to be here. I was told to collect that soul, and I aim to achieve said goal." she said strongly, much to enraged by the creature's vileness to be afraid anymore.

"Then you die." the demon hissed back, and it ran at her with a growl.

Ashling braced herself and dodged its attack, swinging her key-tar at it from behind. She missed it narrowly, and it spun around and growled at her. She smirked at its rage.

"Ole!" she shouted tauntingly, turning toward it and bracing herself for another attack.

The demon snorted and ran at her again. This time she charged at it as well, narrowing her eyes as it got closer. She swung at it heavily, landing a blow in the middle of the monster's back. It howled and clawed at her, and she yelped as its claws raked three long gashes along her right arm. She kicked the creature roughly in the stomach, using the force to propel herself away from it, and landed roughly on her feet. The demon grinned back at her, its eyes bright with amusement.

"It's going to take far more than _that _to kill me, little girl." it jeered at her.

"Likewise, beast." Ashling spat, ignoring the burning pain in her arm and charging at it again.

The demon smirked at her spirit and ran at her, jumping up to avoid being hit with her Death Scythe again. The Shinigami yelled loudly and swung up, surprising the demon and sending waves of pain up her arm. The blades slashed upwards along the demon's chest, and it flew into the air as blood splattered all over it and Ashling.

Ashling growled and jumped up, bringing the blades down on the startled creature's head. The demon hit the ground with a thud, and Ashling landed several feet from it. It slowly climbed to its feet, panting and glaring at her with hatred. It certainly had not expected such fight from a small female such as the Shinigami. With a final hiss it turned tail and fled, deciding that the victim's soul wasn't worth such a fight.

Ashling glared after it, clutching her right arm and grimacing in pain. After a moment, she returned her attention to the dying woman. She walked slowly up to her and looked down at the poor woman's form. The woman looked back at her with deep, sad gray eyes.

"I was going to be married soon." she whispered.

Ashling didn't know how to respond. She simply stared down at the unfortunate young woman, numb and silent. After a moment of struggling to find the right words, the injured Shinigami realized that there were none. There was nothing she could say to this young woman to make her death more comfortable. Some souls were inconsolable. Ashling sighed and lifted the key-tar.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered before bringing it down.

"She's late. I knew this would happen eventually." William complained sternly, leaning against the wall next to Ashling's desk.

She was exactly 4 minutes late, which was completely unacceptable to the time-obsessed Shinigami. The others sat at their desks uncomfortably, watching William with nervous anticipation. God only knew how harshly the strict Shinigami was going to scold her when Ashling finally did return. Their heads jerked toward the door when they heard it open, and they gasped loudly when Ashling walked slowly into the room.

She was covered in bright scarlet blood, and they could see the three long tears in her blue suit arm where she had been injured. She looked exhausted, and walked wordlessly to her desk, dragging her blood-covered key-tar behind her. She propped it up in its usual place against the wall and dropped the files onto the desk, looking up at William with hazy green-yellow eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, William senpai. It won't happen again, I promise." she apologized softly.

"Never mind that, what happened to you!?" William asked quickly, his eyebrows arched high.

The other Shinigami gathered around her quickly, concerned.

"There was a demon trying to steal the last soul on my list, the young woman who was murdered. I had to confront it." Ashling replied.

William's eyes flashed, and he sighed.

"Damned filth. What happened to it?" he asked seriously.

"It scampered off after I hit it in the back, chest, and head. Not before giving me these cuts, but it was in worse shape than myself."

"You chased a demon away from a meal? You?" Alan asked incredulously.

"Yes, I did. Why do you sound so surprised?" Ashling asked, shooting him an accusatory look.

"It's not that! It's just that you're somewhat shy. I can't picture you kicking a demon's ass." Alan replied quickly, waving his hands defensively in front of himself.

"Shy or not, I am dedicated to my job and the souls I am to collect. They deserve dignified deaths, not the shame of becoming a demon's meal." Ashling growled, sighing sadly.

"I couldn't comfort her. I didn't know what to say." she whispered.

The others exchanged quick glances before William spoke.

"Go to the infirmary and get your arm patched up, and I want you to stay home and recover tomorrow. I'll put in an incident report." he said tiredly.

"I'm coming to work tomorrow." Ashling said simply.

"That's not a wise decision." William warned, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Perhaps not, but it is the right one. I'll see all of you tomorrow." Ashling gave them all a polite nod before walking slowly out of the room.

The others watched the doors close after her before letting out collective sighs.

"She's certainly stubborn." Grell said with a small smile.

"Yeah, but she's dedicated to the job and the souls. That's commendable, isn't it?" Ronald asked, looking up at William's unreadable expression.

William hesitated, then sighed.

"Yes, I suppose it is. Now go home. I have to fill out her incident report."

The others nodded quickly and ran from the room, leaving the overtime-hating Shinigami to it.

**Looks like our little Bluebell has some bite after all. This is what happens when I listen to Skrillex when I write. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**~Silver**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Party Like a Shinigami**

Ronald sat at his desk, reading over the last report of the day. He found his mind wandering every few minutes, and it was difficult to keep his concentration on his work. He had to repeatedly bite his lip to keep from breaking out in a wide grin. There was a party going on later that night at a club he liked to frequent, and he was itching to get out and have a good time.

Alan, the only other Shinigami in the room at the moment, noticed Ronald's excitement and smirked.

"It's gonna be one Hell of a party tonight, eh?" he asked, whispering so William wouldn't hear him.

"Killer. Are you going?" Ronald asked just as quietly, grinning.

"You know it. Eric's going, too. We wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Awesome. Is Eric still talking to that girl in the HR Department?"

"Yeah, I think she's going to be there as well. Speaking of which, why don't you take Ashling with you? She's not been to any of the parties yet, and she certainly must know that Shinigami can "party hard", as they say." Alan suggested with a smirk.

"Why don't you ask her, then?" Ronald asked, his face a light shade of pink.

"Because you wouldn't like that, would you? You can't deny you,re interested in her." Alan replied with a wink.

Ronald shot him a slight glare before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, you caught me. I'll mention the party when she gets back from her reapings." he said softly.

"Good man." Alan chuckled and returned to his work.

Ever since Ashling's confrontation and successful ass-kicking of the demon, William had been sending her out to collect souls almost every day. She hadn't seen another demon since then; it was rare that Shinigami came across them. Ashling had gotten pretty good at collecting souls; even Grell, who prided himself solely on physical skill, couldn't deny that.

A low creak alerted them to the door opening, and Eric, Grell, and Ashling walked in together. Eric grinned when he saw Alan and Ronald at their desks, and he dropped his files onto his desk before sitting on it. Grell pranced immediately to Will's office, only to be thrown out with an annoyed yell. Ashling simply dropped her files to her desk and sat down, using a rag to start cleaning dirt off of her Death Scythe.

"You guys ready for the party tonight? I've heard it's gonna be awesome!" Eric asked happily as William walked out of his office.

"Hell yeah. Are you going, William?" Alan asked with a small smile.

"Actually, yes, I am." William answered simply.

"I don't see why. You're such a wallflower at parties, my dear William. It's that chilling cold nature of yours~!" Grell teased, leaning against him.

"It's a good way to unwind after a long day." William answered, shoving Grell away from him.

"At any rate, why haven't you been to any parties yet, Ashling? There have been plenty since you arrived. Hell, there's one almost nightly." Eric chuckled.

"I usually just go home and work on learning how to better play the key-tar, honestly. Plus, I'm as much of a wallflower as Will, though probably for different reasons." Ashling replied, keeping her concentration on cleaning the instrument.

Ronald cleared his throat somewhat nervously.

"How about you come with me to this one tonight? It'll be fun!" he asked, ignoring the grins of the others.

Ashling looked up at him in surprise, then looked out the window at the darkening sky thoughtfully.

"What's tonight's moon phase, William?" she asked softly.

William blinked at the odd question before remembering her employee report.

"Ah, right. It's a waxing crescent, I believe." he said plainly.

Ashling nodded and looked back at Ronald.

"Alright, Ronald, I'll go. Meet you in front of the building at, say, 8:00?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, sounds awesome! See you then!" Ronald grinned as the young woman brushed by him and left the room, humming softly to herself.

Once she was gone, Alan grinned and high-fived Ronald.

"Victory, my friend!" he cheered, earning a wide grin from Ronald.

"Alright, you idiots, that's enough of that. Just don't drink so much you're too hung-over for work tomorrow." William sighed, and the others smirked at him.

A few hours later, Ronald waited anxiously in front of the building, glancing repeatedly at his watch and forcing himself to be patient. It was a few minutes before 8:00, and he was eager to head to the club and party. He was fairly well known as a party animal, and was at that mischievous age where he went out of his way to have a good time. He wanted to show Ashling a good time as well. She spent most of her time alone, and there couldn't be much fun at all in that.

He looked up with an impatient sigh, then smirked. Ashling was walking toward him from across the street, smiling softly and waving. She no longer wore her usual blue business suit, but a pair of jeans, a gray shirt, and a baggy blue jacket. Her headphones rested around her neck, and Ronald could faintly hear music playing as the woman drew closer to him.

"Hey." he greeted her, grinning.

"Hey." she replied, casting a quick glance at his own attire; jeans, red shirt, black tie, and a black jacket.

"Like what you see?" Ronald teased.

Ashling smirked at his overconfidence.

"Come on, you goob. Let's go." she replied, earning a chuckle from the other Shinigami.

"Of course, my lady. If I may?" Ronald offered her his arm playfully.

Ashling giggled softly and took it, allowing the gleeful young man to lead her to the club.

It was a rather large building, and different colored lights flashed from the windows. They could see the forms of people inside dancing, and music boomed from inside. Ashling turned off her own music quickly before allowing Ronald to escort her into the club. They were greeted with shouts of welcome, and a few whistles from some of the other Shinigami in their department. Ashling's face went blood red, but Ronald ignored their calls and dragged her onto the dance floor.

"Can you dance, Ashling?" he asked, shouting over the music.

"Well enough." she yelled back, doing her best to avoid being shoved by other Shinigami in the crowd.

"Then come on! I'm not going to let you be a wallflower like Will tonight! Let's party!" Ronald shouted and immediately started dancing to the heavy bass of the music.

Ashling chuckled at his wildness before joining him. As the night progressed, the pair spent most of their time in the crowd, dancing and laughing at one another. It was one of the first times they had seen Ashling letting go and enjoying herself. Eric, Alan, Grell, and William watched them from their seats at the bar after a couple of hours had passed. They had already gotten tired and decided to take a break, but Ronald and Ashling were still in their places, dancing the night away.

"I think I see something there." Eric yelled, grinning.

"Yeah, same here. How sweet! Love is a wonderful thing, hmm, William-darling?" Grell asked, leaning toward the irritated Shinigami.

"As long as it doesn't affect their work, then it's fine. And I'm _not _your darling, Grell." he hissed, trying to mask his disgust.

"Ah, you're still such a meanie!" Grell pouted, and the others chuckled at him.

"Besides, I wouldn't go as far as to claim love yet. It's still a bit soon for that. Give them more time and see if this continues, then we'll see." Alan commented, nodding toward the two.

The others watched them for a few more minutes before Alan finally got up and stretched.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm ready to get back out on the floor. There's a group of young women over there that look like they need company." he said, grinning at Eric, his usual partner in crime.

"Oh, Hell yes." Eric returned the grin before getting up and leading the way toward the group, leaving Will and Grell alone.

After a few minutes of silence, Grell ventured to speak.

"Hey, William, do you want to-" he began.

"No way in Hell." William growled, not even letting Grell finish.

"You're really mean, you know, Will? But that's part of why I love you~!"

"...ugh..."

**Woo-hoo, ain't no party like a Shinigami party! The song I had in mind for the dancing was Reptile, by Skrillex. Yeah, I was listening to them again. I thought Ronald and Ashling deserved a kick-ass first "date", I suppose. I didn't want to ficus solely on them, though. I hope you guys like it!**

**~Silver **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Why Fear the Moon?**

William's eyebrow twitched as he scanned over the report that had just come in. This would mean overtime; a lot of overtime. And if there was one thing he hated more than lateness (and Grell), it was overtime. He sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose before getting up and walking out of his office. The other five Shinigami were standing around their desks chatting, enjoying the end of the work day. William took note of Ronald's arm around Ashling's shoulders; ever since that party a few weeks ago things had been going well in their relationship.

"Everyone, your attention, please. I have something I need to tell you." he said tiredly, and they turned to look at him.

"Are you finally going to confess for me, Will~?" Grell nearly sang, batting his eyes at the annoyed Shinigami.

"No. We have to work overtime tonight." William growled, rolling his eyes.

"Ugh. I'd much rather just watch you confess to Grell." Alan muttered, earning a light chuckle from Eric.

"Why do we have to do overtime?" Ronald asked, concerned.

"It appears that at a little after midnight tonight several people are going to die in our district. Enough so that I need everyone, and I mean _everyone_, to work tonight." William answered seriously.

Ashling's eyes widened, and she cast a quick glance out the window at the darkening sky.

"William, I don't think-" she started, but he interrupted her.

"You're coming, too. I don't know what it is about the dark or whatever that makes you so nervous, but we need your help as well. You're not getting out of this." he said sternly.

"But William, I-"

"_That's final._"

Ashling gulped and nodded at him, not daring to question him when he was already so angry at having to put in overtime in the first place.

"What's the cause of the deaths?" Eric asked curiously.

"Murder." William read, looking at the file.

"Demons?"

"No, it says that the murderer is unknown. All I can tell is that the first one happens of Stetson Avenue, and then it runs in a string all the way to the outskirts of London."

"So whatever it is will be killing on its way out of the city,  
toward the forest." Ronald said thoughtfully.

None of them noticed the shade of white Ashling's face was going as they spoke. After a moment, William spoke again.

"Alright. Go get ready, get something to eat, and we'll meet next to the old refinery on Stetson. Before midnight. Got it?" he looked at each of them in turn, his eyes resting heavily on Ashling before turning away.

The group of Shinigami filed out of the building slowly, grumbling to themselves about how much they despised unpaid overtime. Ronald walked by Ashling's side, her hand in his, and complained about the whole mess this was going to be. When he noticed that she wasn't paying him any attention, he shook her arm gently. Ashling blinked and turned to him with an apologetic smile.

"Are you okay?" Ronald asked.

"Eh, I've been better. I'm just nervous about tonight. Do you think it's possible for me to do my job and stay out of the moonlight?" she asked suddenly.

"Ahn, I don't know. Maybe. Why?"

"I just...I can't be in strong moonlight."

Ronald nodded understandingly.

"It's okay, everyone is scared of something. I'll be there with you, so it'll be okay. Ronald's gotcha!" Ronald gave her his signature sloppy grin, expecting a smile or a laugh.

Instead, Ashling sighed and shook her head.

"Yeah, that's part of what I'm worried about..." she whispered so softly that Ronald was hardly sure if she had spoken at all.

Several hours later, the group sat atop the roof of the refinery; except for Ashling. She was standing on the ground, leaning against the building and doing her best to avoid the white light of the moon. The others watched her curiously, not at all sure what was going on. It didn't seem that she was scared of the dark; she was doing her best to stay in it. She was terrified of the _moon_.

"What's up with your girlfriend, Ronald?" Alan asked, stretching and glancing up the street.

"I dunno." Ronald sighed, shrugging.

"You've not asked her?"

"No. I figure that if she wanted to tell me what was going on, she would."

The others contemplated his words, then sighed. Grell watched Ashling with a pitiful look in his eyes as she hunched up against the wall.

"Ashling, dear, come up here with us! You don't have to worry, we're here with you!" he called at her.

"No, thanks! It's better for all of us if I stay here!" Ashling called back, her voice trembling slightly.

Grell sighed, finally getting tired of this. He jumped off the roof and walked up to Ashling, leaning against the side of the building next to her. She looked at him curiously, casting quick glances at the shadows to make sure she was still in them.

"So, what's so bad about the moonlight that you're huddling up in the dark? I've seen plenty of people who were scared of the dark, but not the moon. It's quite the curious phobia." Grell asked gently.

"It's not a phobia. A phobia is an intense, unfounded fear of something that makes little to no sense. My fear is extremely founded, and makes more sense than any of you realize." Ashling replied quickly.

"Then tell us what's wrong."

"I can't. I just...I can't tell you. It's better if you don't know."

Grell growled impatiently and quickly grabbed her wrist, and she yelled in surprise.

"Well, the best way to get over a fear is to face it head on! Out you go~!" Grell called happily, slinging Ashling out of the shadow and directly into the moonlight.

Ashling froze, going rigid as the cool white light bathed her in an almost eerie glow. She shuddered and turned slowly to look at the other Shinigami, and they gasped audibly. Her eyes were no longer the yellow-green characteristic to a Shinigami. They were completely black, and inky black that seemed to radiate a sinister glow that send shudders up their spines.

"You Shinigami...you have a bit of light to you..." she muttered, her voice harsh and grating.

"Wha-what?" Grell stuttered, taking a step back.

"You shine bright like the Sun...but all I need is the _moon_." her last word came out as a pained growl, and she doubled over with a low whine.

Ronald moved to jump off the roof, but William quickly grabbed his shoulder and shook his head at him. Grell jumped up to the roof in panic as Ashling began a horrifying transformation. She gasped loudly as her body shuddered, and she was suddenly surrounded by a thick cloud of black fog; so thick the Shinigami couldn't see through it to see what was happening. All they could do was stand, frozen in curious horror, as screams resounded from within the cloud. After a few moments, the screams became low, eerie whines, and the smog cleared away.

Crouched where Ashling had been moments before was a wolf-like animal, its body covered with shining silver fur. A bushy tail uncurled from around its slender legs as it stood up on its hind legs, yawning and exposing a row of dagger-like teeth. It seemed to roll its shoulders before throwing its head back and emitting the loudest, shrillest, and most blood-curdling howl any of the stunned Shinigami had ever heard. It then turned its long head to glare at them with pitch black eyes full of hatred and hunger. William sighed.

"Shit."

**Yay, werewolf! I've been wanting to write on of these into a story for so long, because I love the idea of them! A person cursed to transform into a beast by the light of the full moon! And I know you lot saw that coming, too! Can't wait to see what happens! **

**~Silver**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Shinigami Play Fetch**

The group of stunned Shinigami stood stock-still as the wolf glared up at them, curling its lip back and snarling. Its silver fur bristled with rage as it glared up at them with those hatred-filled black eyes. Ronald shuddered at the sight at what a simple shove into the moonlight had done to his girlfriend. He made a mental note to _never _take her for a moonlit stroll before being pulled back into the present situation with another low growl from the creature.

"Will, what do we do?" Alan asked, his voice a whisper.

"Well, Alan...the first thing to do...is to get the _Hell out of here_." William answered.

As if on cue, the wolf growled and jumped up at them, narrowly missing climbing onto the roof. The Shinigami snapped out of their surprise-induce trance and ran, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. The wolf snarled and attempted to follow, but was quickly left behind by the Shinigami's speed. The panicked group quickly found themselves standing in trees at the edge of the forest outside London, panting and looking out at the city.

"What in the name of Undertaker's favorite joke was _that_?" Eric asked, pointing sharply out at the city with the tip of his Death Scythe, a handsaw.

"Looked like a wolf to me." Grell said sheepishly.

"You're close. It appears that Ashling was hiding a terrible secret indeed. That was a werewolf." William answered calmly.

"A werewolf? What is that?" Ronald asked nervously.

"A werewolf is a person cursed to change form when exposed to the light of a full moon. They loose all control of themselves and act upon instinct. They are equivalent to a large, feral wolf with a person's intelligence. They're incredibly rare."

"Rare? I don't understand, people are killed for being werewolves all of the time." Alan pointed out.

"No, people are killed for _thinking _that they're werewolves all of the time. It's a mental disorder called Lycanthropy, in which the victim believes themselves to be a wolf. Ashling, however, is the real deal." William said softly, a puzzled look on his face.

"Why do you look so confused? I think it's pretty obvious that she's a werewolf. We all saw it." Grell complained, shuddering.

"I'm just wondering how it happened. Werewolves come about in one of two ways. They are either born to a mated pair, or they're turned by a bite from another wolf. Ashling couldn't have been born one, because it's impossible for werewolves and Shinigami to produce offspring, and she's both. So, it comes to reason that she was bitten. However, werewolves don't attack simply to bite people. They attack to kill. So either Ashling fended the creature off after it bit her, which I doubt. Or someone saved her." William muttered, furrowing his eyebrows.

Something about this didn't add up. It would take something stronger than a human to fend off an attacking wolf. However, had it been a Shinigami that had saved Ashling from being killed, they would have reported the incident to the Administrative Department immediately. Werewolves were incredibly dangerous, especially in populated areas. William looked up from his thoughts in horror.

"The murders." he murmured, and the other Shinigami gave him a curious look.

"What about the murders?" Ronald asked.

"That's it. The identity of the murderer is unknown because the department didn't know Ashling was a werewolf. And they go in a string toward the forest. Sending us here to clean up the souls of the victims is the cause of the murders in the first place! Which means..." William paused as a high, frightened scream pierced the night like an arrow.

The Shinigami all went pale as the scream was followed by a loud, ravenous howl. The cry persisted for a moment, then the scream abruptly ended. William groaned.

"I hope one of you lot can write. This deserves a novel. Anyway, we'll need to collect the souls of all of the people set to be killed by the wolf." William returned to his usual, business-like tone.

"How the Hell are we supposed to do that with a werewolf running rampant through the streets of London?" Grell yelled at him angrily.

"The murders line up in the direction of the forest. We simply wait for it to run into the forest before going into the city."

"There's nothing _simple _about that! It's not just going to run into the forest by itself with so many potential victims inside the city!"

"Then we lure it out."

"How?"

William was about to retort, but Eric interrupted him.

"Hold on, I have an idea. Watch this." he said with a grin.

Eric cupped his hands over his lips and threw his head back, giving his best imitation at a wolf's howl. He stopped and listened, frowning when the only reply he got was another shrill cry from Ashling's second victim. With a determined glare the Shinigami tried again, louder and rougher than before. This time, he got a response. There was a pause, then he was answered by a low howl. He grinned and howled back, and there was a loud reply before the only sounds that pierced the night were the cry of victims; growing closer.

"She's coming this way." William observed simply.

Alan turned to give Eric a quizzical look.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked curiously.

"Saw it in a movie once. No time. I suggest we get out of sight until she passes us by."

The others nodded, and they quickly jumped up into a thick patch of tree branches a little farther into the forest. A few minutes later, the wolf ran up underneath their tree, panting and looking around. Its fur was covered in blood, and it lifted its head to sniff at the air tentatively. Eric cupped his hands and howled softly, throwing his voice to make it sound like it had come from far away. The were wolf hesitated, then ran off deeper into the forest with a low whine. Alan shot Eric another quizzical look.

"I learned a little bit of the art of ventriloquism. The ladies used to love it." Eric offered with a shrug.

"Alright, enough clowning. We've got souls to retrieve. We can all talk about this little incident after work tomorrow, with Ashling present to explain a few things. For now, let's go before she comes back." William interrupted quickly.

The others nodded slowly, and followed William out into the death-stained streets of a now silent city.

**Look out, Ronnie, your girlfriend's a werewolf! How did that come about? Why was she so secretive about it? How did she even survive the initial attack? Keep reading to find out! Thanks for all of the support!**

**~Silver**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**A Not-So-Divine Intervention**

Ashling was late. Not by very much, just a couple of minutes, but she was still late. The others had managed to get to work on time, though they were all exhausted from the events of the night before. It was, of course, understandable why Ashling would be late. Changing from Shinigami to werewolf, then back again, had to be a tiring process. Plus, she probably had mixed feelings about showing up to work. It must be difficult to face the ones you could have hurt like that. Ashling was quiet enough already; having caused so much trouble surely subdued and shamed her.

The other Shinigami glanced up as the door to the office swung open and Ashling slowly ambled inside. She looked worse than they had thought- frayed suit, pale skin, and dark circles under her green-yellow eyes. She greeted the others with a quick, shamed nod before making her way to the door of William's office. She looked back at the others, who nodded at her encouragingly, before pushing the door open and walking inside. William looked up from the report he had been reading, looking somewhat surprised to see her.

"Ah, Ashling. I would have thought that you'd sleep in after last night's events." he said mildly.

"Well, it wasn't one of my better nights, but that's no reason to skip work. Uhm, William...about last night-" Ashling began softly, but Will raised a hand to stop her.

"We'll all talk about that later. After work we're all going to meet at the cafe on the first floor of this building. We can get something to eat and discuss a few things then." he said sternly.

"Yes sir." Ashling replied quickly, her face heating up in an embarrassed blush.

"Today, I want you to do some desk work. I've got Grell and Ronald slated to go out into the field. Now go get to work." William returned his attention to the report he had been looking over.

Ashling quickly retreated from William's office and went to her own desk, sinking into her chair. She did her best to ignore the curious, concerned looks from her coworkers as she opened her first file. She groaned softly as she read over it; this was one of the files from the murders of the night before. The murders _she _had committed, albeit in another form. She read over it quickly, her stomach sinking as she looked over the extent of the injuries she had caused. These deaths had not been quick; they were brutal, painful, animalistic.

"This is sick..." she whispered to herself, slapping the file shut and dropping it into her "done" pile.

Ronald and Grell exchanged quick looks, about to leave for their days reapings, before Ronald approached her.

"Are you alright?" he asked lamely, realizing afterward what a stupid question that had been.

"I'm fine. You had best go before William comes out and scolds you." Ashling replied softly, not looking up at him.

Ronald sighed and clasped her shoulder reassuringly.

"The thing that killed all of those people...it wasn't you. This is you, here, helping people. Giving them more comfortable deaths. That was just...something else." he tried to comfort her, realizing that he wasn't sure what to say.

"Thank you, Ronald. Now please, go. I don't want to talk about it yet."

Ronald nodded, then followed Grell out of the room. The day passed in an awkward silence. William only left his office a couple of times, and was always in a rush to return to his work. Alan and Eric kept their attention on their work, not wanting to bother Ashling. She appreciated it, even though she suspected that they were being so quiet only because they didn't know what to say to her. Ronald and Grell returned a few minutes before work ended, and the group stood in the room waiting for Will once the clock struck 6:00.

"Alright everyone. Why don't we all go to the cafe and talk about a few things?" the Shinigami asked once he had joined them.

"Yes, good idea. I've been burning with curiosity all day."Grell replied.

The group filed out of the office and made their way down to the small cafe. Seeing the tense, and somewhat terrified, expression on Ashling's face, Ronald took her hand gently. She looked at him with surprise, and he offered his signature grin. She smiled softly and allowed him to lead her to a large table near the farthest wall away from the door. The others sat in a circle around the table, and they waited until they had ordered and received their food before speaking. William cleared his throat.

"So, Ashling...it seems there was something your report didn't mention about you..." he began.

"My report stated that I could not be out in the light of the full moon. That should have been enough." Ashling replied dryly.

"Did the Administrative Department know _why _you can't be out?"

"Yes, they did."

"And they still hired you?"

Ashling narrowed her eyes at him, growing tired of these pointless questions.

"_Obviously_."

William sighed.

"Right. So, first thing's first. Why didn't you just tell us you were a werewolf? Why couldn't you just let us know from the get-go?" he asked pointedly.

Ashling sighed.

"I've worked a lot of different jobs. I've worked in food business, pet care, home improvement stores, you name it. I never once quit a job. I was always fired. Someone would find out what I was and report to someone else, and the news spread rather quickly. People would freak out, they don't like werewolves. We're very prejudiced against. I went from town to town, city to city, to escape from people trying to kill me simply because of a curse I can't help that I have." she answered slowly, looking away from them.

"So, you didn't tell us because you didn't want that to happen again?" Alan asked, looking at her sadly.

"Yes. I like this job, and I like all of you. I didn't want you to be nervous or afraid around me. It's not something I can control. It scares me half to death, and I hate it. But I can't do anything about it."

The others sat and thought over her words for a moment, then William sighed.

"That's somewhat reasonable. You still should have told us. Werewolves are listed as dangerous creatures, and it's important to know about them before you see one change form." he said severely.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I guess I'll pack my things tomorrow." Ashling said softly.

The others lifted their eyebrows at that.

"Why?" Eric asked.

"Well, I'm used to having to leave after people find out what I am. You guys actually saw me. Hell, I could have killed you!"

"You're not being fired. Sure, the incident last night was partially your fault, but not completely. It was also Grell's for slinging you out into the moonlight after you repeatedly warned that it was a bad idea. And also partially mine for ignoring your report's warning." William reassured her, and she gave a relieved smile.

"Just know that you're not doing night shift. _Ever_." Alan joked, and the others chuckled.

"I have a question, Ashling. Last night, before you changed, you said something odd to us." Grell said quickly, before anyone else could ask anything.

"What was it?" Ashling asked curiously; she had never spoken with anyone who had seen her change before. Most of them were dead.

"You said "You Shinigami shine bright like the Sun, but all I need is the moon." It was really creepy. Sent shivers up my spine, and not the good kind."

Ashling furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"That is pretty creepy. I have no idea what that was all about. I don't remember anything after you tossed me out into the light. I just remember waking up out in the forest, and running home." she said slowly, confused.

"My question is this. How did you become a werewolf?" Ronald asked, tightening his grip on her hand a bit.

"It happened when I was in my early teens. I had been arguing with one of my sisters, and I decided to take a walk to cool off. It was pretty late, and it was really dark out. Except for the moon. The moon was full. It still haunts me, sometimes, how big the moon looked that night. I was walking, and I saw this large creature lumbering out of the woods. I froze in fear. I had no idea what it was.

It didn't seem to notice me at first. It was snuffling around, and looked like something was bothering it. Then I guess it caught my scent, because it looked at me suddenly. It's eyes were pitch black. Ugh, those eyes...I've never seen anything else like them. They scared me more than a demon's gaze could. The thing, which part of me had realized was a werewolf, growled at me and charged. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I kind of crossed my arms in front of me, and it locked its jaws around my right arm. Damn, it hurt! That thing had a vice-grip on me." Ashling shuddered.

"How did you survive? It didn't stop with a bite." William asked intensely.

"I was saved. The wolf was pulled away from me, and it ran away without doing anything else."

"Who managed to do that?"

"It was...a demon."

**Gasp! WHAT!? WHHAAAAAAT!? A ****_demon!? _****What happened? Who could it have been? When am I going to stop teasing you with these questions? Why am I out of mac and cheese? Guess you'll have to wait to find out! Allons-y!**

**~Silver **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Intense Questioning **

The other Shinigami stared at Ashling in complete shock, and it took them a moment to comprehend what she had said. Once it sank in, there was an explosion of questions.

"A demon?"

"What did they look like?"

"Why would a demon help a Shinigami?"

William shot everyone a piercing look, and they fell silent. The stern Shinigami returned his gaze to Ashling.

"Alright, so a demon stopped the werewolf from killing you?" he asked slowly, making sure he had understood her.

"Yes, sir." Ashling replied evenly.

"Did it offer any sort of explanation? Anything at all?"

"Not really. He just looked back at me and said "wolves-bane", then ran off. I thought maybe he was talking about the plant, because there were rumors that wolves-bane can cure a werewolf. I tried it. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked."

William sighed.

"Leave it to a noxious beast to choose then to be cryptic. You said he, so it was a man. What did he look like?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose with a tired look in his eyes.

"He was about your height, and very thin. He had somewhat long black hair, and wore a tailcoat-" Ashling was cut off by a loud shout from Grell.

"Oh, that has to be my Sebastian! My sweet Bassy! Ooh, will I get to see him again? It's been much too long!" the Shinigami crooned excitedly.

"Did this "Bassy" of yours have oddly colored eyes?" Ashling asked quickly.

Grell gave her a confused look, lifting his eyebrows.

"Not for a demon, no. They were a deep red. Why?" he asked curiously.

"If that's so then this wasn't the same demon. This one had eyes the color of melted gold. They were very odd." Ashling replied.

It was William's turn to be confused.

"A demon with golden eyes? That's very unusual. Who could he have been?" he asked.

"I get a feeling _he _might have an idea, William." Alan said shakily, pointing out the window.

The Shinigami were surprised to see the very same man Ashling had described standing across the street from the Dispatch Building. He watched them with a blank expression, and his golden eyes were easy to spot through the lenses of his glasses.

"Golden eyes. Maybe he's part Shinigami?" Ronald asked nervously.

"No, idiot! No Shinigami in his or her right mind would breed with a beast! That man is 100% demon." William growled angrily, standing up and striding quickly to the door.

The demon smirked when he saw William stand, and walked calmly to the other side of the glass door. The two stared at one another intensely before the demon shot William a taunting smile.

"Are you going to invite me in, Shinigami? I believe I can help answer a few of your questions." he asked in a deep voice.

"What do you want in return?" William snapped back; demons never did anything without a price.

"Nothing from any of you. I am simply following my master's orders."

"And who would that be?"

"All will be explained inside."

William narrowed his eyes angrily at the demon, then stood back and pulled the door open. The demon grinned victoriously.

"Thank you, Mr. Spears." he smirked and walked to the table where the other Shinigami were sitting, watching him warily.

The demon grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it to the edge of theirs, waiting for William to return to his seat before taking his own. The Shinigami waited in tense silence for the man to get comfortable before he glanced at Ashling and nodded.

"You didn't take my advice." he said simply.

Ronald growled at him and protectively pulled Ashling closer to himself.

"That's your fault for not being clear with what you meant." he snapped, and the demon chuckled.

"Ronald, let me handle this. What is your name, demon?" William asked, trying to keep the tension out of his voice.

"My name is, and forever shall be, Claude Faustus." the demon answered calmly.

"Who is your master?"

"A young woman by the name of Silver. She is a successful writer and psychologist living in America."

"If your master is in America, why are you here?"

"Silver is in London on a business trip. She told me to wander around while she attended a meeting. Thus, I am here."

Ashling sat forward a bit, staring somewhat fearfully at the strange demon.

"Why did you save me those years ago?" she asked, and Claude turned to look at her.

"My master's orders."

"A different master?"

"No, the same."

William chuckled.

"She must have had a long-term goal if you haven't stolen her soul yet." he mused.

"That is not of your concern. I believe you wanted to talk about the young werewolf?" Claude replied blandly.

"Yes. Why did your master order you to save Ashling?"

"She did not. We were in London for a trip with a class she took in college several years ago. She spotted the werewolf that later attacked Ashling running into the woods, and ordered me to keep it from killing anyone. Thus, I did. It did not _kill _anyone."

"What did you mean by "wolves-bane"? I tried everything I could think of with the plant, but nothing worked." Ashling asked, her voice anxious. This demon could be the key to her cure.

"I was not talking about the plant. I was talking about the ritual." Claude replied, smirking mysteriously at them.

William narrowed his eyes at the tricky demon. There was something not right about this demon. He was being far too cooperative, offering his information much too readily. Either he was plotting something, or his master had him on a very tight leash indeed. Either way, he would have to be wary of him. This demon would ask for a price at some point, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

**See what I've done? I tied this story a bit to my other one, "Silver and Gold". I thought it would add to the excitement a little. What could Claude possibly gain from helping the Shinigami cure Ashling? Read on to find out, my Silverlings! Allons-y!**

**~Silver **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Dealing with Demons**

Ashling and the other Shinigami watched Claude carefully as he sipped at a cup of tea, his golden eyes glinting slightly with amusement. They had been trying to get him to go more into detail about this so-called "Wolves-Bane Ritual" for the past several minutes, but he blatantly refused to speak with them. He had, for whatever reason, decided that he wanted only to speak with William from then on. William was reluctant to indulge the beast, but it was important that they do whatever they could to cure Ashling of her condition. After a few moments of silent contemplation, the tired Shinigami relented.

"Very well. Everyone, go get some rest. I'll see you at work tomorrow. I'll handle the demon." he said sternly, his eyes locked with the smirking demon's.

The group shot him concerned looks, but took his stern glare as a sign that he was well enough on his own. They got up and shuffled out into the dark night, hurrying down the street. Ronald held Ashling's hand tightly in his own. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he thought.

"What do you think that demon wants from William?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I just hope it's not anything bad." Ashling replied softly.

"Oh, I can guarantee that it's bad. Demons never do anything out of the goodness of their hearts. That would require them to _have _goodness in their hearts, which is unthinkable."

Ashling sighed and nodded, glancing over her shoulder as the Dispatch Building vanished from sight.

Claude sat patiently, waiting for William to speak first. The Shinigami seemed reluctant to ask for the demon's help, and it was amusing to watch the anger boiling under his mask of calmness. He could sense the stubborn rage radiating off of the man, and his green-yellow eyes glinted harshly in the light. Finally, William sighed and looked up at him.

"We need your help. We have to cure Ashling of her...condition." William said carefully.

"Indeed. You can't have a werewolf running around in London. Quite dangerous." Claude replied smoothly.

"You seem to know a way to cure her."

"I do."

"Can you give me specifics on the ritual you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes. The Wolves-Bane Ritual is an ancient demon technique. We demons don't much like werewolves, you see. Not only do they kill our food source, humans, without any hint of discrimination. They stink like wet dogs, too. The scent is quite unpleasant. We developed the Wolves-Bane Ritual as a way to cure werewolves so that, if they were humans, we could eat their souls afterward. Only a demon can perform the ritual."

William sighed and used his Death Scythe to slide his glasses higher up his nose.

"So we would need you to do it." he said slowly.

Claude smiled softly.

"Yes."

"And I assume you won't do this for free."

"Correct again. As I said earlier, I want nothing directly from you. There is something in the Shinigami Library that I am rather...desperate...to get my hands on."

William's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the tension in the air was palpable. If what the demon was looking for was in the Shinigami Library, then it could be very dangerous. This particular demon was impossible to read, and it was hard to tell what was going on behind those strange golden eyes. William sighed again and ran one of his hands through his hair.

"What do you want, vermin?" he asked.

Claude sat forward a bit, flashing his fangs at the Shinigami as he spoke.

"I want my master's Cinematic Record." he whispered.

William snarled and curled his lip angrily, his eyes flashing.

"_No way in Hell, filth._" he growled, his voice dripping in venom.

Claude smirked and sat back, and William took note of a change in his eyes. They now looked more like a normal demon's; glowing as red as a fresh coal, with slits for pupils. It seemed that for whatever reason, this demon was indeed desperate for that record.

"I guess you'll just have to deal with the werewolf, then. Poor Ashling. I've heard the transformation to and from wolf form is incredibly _painful. _It will be a shame for her to have to deal with it because her boss can't lend out a book." Claude clicked his tongue in harsh, false sympathy.

"What do you want the Cinematic Record for, demon?" William snapped.

Claude sighed.

"My master is...very different from any human I have ever met. I was supposed to take her soul years ago, when she published her first book. However, I made an amendment in the contract stating that I would wait until she was a big-shot in the world of Psychology as well. She's almost there, and I don't know what other amendments I can add to the contract. All I know is that I refuse to eat her soul." he said slowly.

William lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Why is that? What does this drabble have to do with her record?" he asked sternly.

"I am quite fond of my master, Shinigami. So fond, in fact, that I refuse to let her die. I need to record to use a very hush-hush demonic ritual to turn her into a demon." Claude hissed back.

"Turn her into a...by _fond_, you wouldn't happen to mean you love her, and are just too stubborn to use such a word? Is that it? You want to turn her into your mate?" William snorted, the situation making more sense now.

Claude sighed and stared at William for a moment.

"Think of it as you will. Do we have a deal?" he asked.

William sat back and closed his eyes in thought. If he agreed to this, he would be aiding in the creation of one (if not more) more demon. At least one more vile, soul-stealing beast roaming the Earth. It was either that or an immortal Shinigami-werewolf who was a time-bomb waiting to explode into a disaster. Imagine if she attacked and turned other Shinigami? If that happened, several Shinigami would have to be reaped with Death Scythes, and his whole department would be fired. William gave a resigned sigh.

"Fine, but this stays between us. You cannot tell anyone about this. Clear?" he asked harshly.

Claude smirked victoriously.

"Crystal."

**A demand made! A ritual to be performed! Can the Shinigami trust Claude to help, or is he plotting something far more sinister? Wait to find out! Allons-y!**

**~Silver**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**The Wolves-Bane Ritual**

Ashling looked around nervously, shivering in fear and keeping as close to the edge of the group as possible. If they didn't make it to where the demon had told them to meet him in time, things could get troublesome. As in big-murderous-wolf-monster troublesome. The terrified Shinigami made sure that she could slide into nearby shadows if need be. She wasn't going to allow herself to attack her friends again. She couldn't imagine if she hurt one of them, especially Ronald, who was walking by her side and holding her hand reassuringly.

Claude had told them to meet him at a well-known, but little visited, field on the outskirts of where the Shinigami lived. He had insisted that it be on the night of a full moon, and was adamant about this point. Apparently, it was important for the Wolves-Bane Ritual he was going to perform.

Ashling sighed in relief when the field came into view; they had made it before the moon had risen. Two figures stood next to a tall, concave concrete wall that had not been there last time any of them had been to the field. It was obviously something the demon had built for the ritual. When the Shinigami got closer, they saw that the two other people were none other than Claude and a somewhat short woman with blue-gray eyes and glasses. The woman smiled and waved to them as they approached.

"I assume you are the Shinigami Claude told me about. Awesome!" she said with a wide grin.

"Yes. And you are Miss Silver, I presume?" William asked.

"Yes, but please don't call me "Miss". It's so old fashioned, makes me feel old. I'm Silver, writer and Cognitive Psychologist! I study how the mind interprets art, and am working with lab rats at the moment. But enough of that." the strange woman turned her attention to Ashling, who went red in embarrassment.

"You must be Ashling. I'm terribly sorry about what's happened to you, but don't worry. Claude's going to fix it. Right?" Silver turned to look at Claude with a smile.

Claude bowed slightly, trying to stay formal in front of the others, and smiled softly.

"Yes, my lady." he said confidently.

"Ah, don't start being all boring now! Come on, let's see this ritual of yours! I'm really curious!" Silver said excitedly, walking toward the wall.

Claude and the Shinigami followed her, looking up at the gray stone wall expectantly. There were two heavy metal shackles hanging from it, and two stuck firmly in the ground in front of it as well. The overhang from the curve shielded the part under it from the moon, but it wouldn't for the whole night. There were all sorts of strange symbols carved into the wall, and Ronald narrowed his eyes as he looked over them. He had no idea what any of this meant. All he could do was trust the demon; and that was a very dangerous place to be.

"What do you plan to do?" he asked, looking up into Claude's gold eyes.

"Simple, really. We chain Ashling up to this wall. It's built so that the moon will not touch her until just the right moment. She will change form, and it will activate the glyphs I carved into the wall. Their power will remove the curse of the werewolf, or "Vyrwolf", as we call them back home in Hell. It will be very painful, Miss Ashling, but you will never turn into a wolf again. You will be completely cured." Claude turned his attention to the young Shinigami, who nodded understandingly.

"I understand. It'll hurt. I don't care, let's do it! I'm sick of being a freaking _dog_." she spat the last word angrily, and Claude actually chuckled at her.

"I once knew someone else who despised dogs. He was more of a cat-person, but that's irrelevant. Come on." he motioned for her to stand in front of the wall.

Ashling walked to the wall and stood in front of it, and Claude carefully bound her to it with the shackles. He made quick work of the ones on her legs as well, then backed away from her.

"It's done. The rest will take care of itself. We can sit at the edge of the field and wait. We don't want to be close when it happens. The screaming is going to be enough of an issue without being able to clearly see her thrashing and writhing as well." he said in a complete monotone.

Ronald shot Ashling a worried look, but she smiled and motioned for them to do as Claude had said. She didn't want them to see her become a monster again, then turn back while in agony. The group walked to the edge of the field and sat down, watching quietly as the moon appeared and rose higher into the sky with each passing minute.

"Do you have what I asked you for, Mr. Spears?" Claude whispered to William hurriedly, Silver's hand in his.

The Shinigami nodded slightly, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

"Yes, and you'll get it after this works." he replied, keeping his gaze on the wall several yards away.

Claude sighed and nodded, returning his attention to Silver, who had just starting talking to him about the rats back at her lab. William smirked a bit at the sight of them. To imagine a demon being able to feel love at all was a preposterous notion, yet here it was before him. It was...pathetic. The demon was more of a leashed dog than even Sebastian had been. It was curious, really. Perhaps he ought to have someone look into that. It was always best to be one step in front of the enemy.

His train of thought was broken by a shrill cry of pain. The group went tense; the moon's light was shining into the curved part of the wall where Ashling was. Her cries of agony continued and quickly became growls and snarls. Claude sighed.

"It begins." he muttered softly, feeling Silver shudder next to him.

The group only grew more tense as the werewolf howled and whimpered in agony. The wall began to glow a vibrant purple, and the glyphs began to peel away from the wall. Silver and the Shinigami gasped as they began to form a sort of cage-pattern around the wall.

"Claude, what's going on?" Silver asked, looking at him.

She was surprised to see his eyes glowing the same vibrant purple as the symbols, and he ignored her question, trying to keep his focus on helping the process.

After a few minutes of the wolf's cries, the symbols shattered silently, and the cries stopped abruptly. Claude smirked in satisfaction, and his eyes returned to their normal gold color. The group sat in silence for a moment, waiting for the demon to say something. After a moment, he obliged them.

"It is done."

**So, did it work? Or has Claude done something terrible? I'm expecting two more chapters to this. Thanks for reading! Allons-y!**

**~Silver **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Success**

Ronald reached the stone wall where Ashling had been chained first, running as if his own life depended on it. The other Shinigami were close behind, and even Silver did a decent job of keeping up with them. Claude brought up the rear, walking calmly and confidently. He wasn't nearly as concerned as the rest of them, for he knew how the ritual had gone, and did not really need to see it to be confident in his success.

Ashling herself slouched back against the cold stone, gasping in dimming pain and hanging her head. Her clothes were ripped and torn in several places, and she looked exhausted. But she looked just as human (or Shinigami) as she was supposed to be. She slowly lifted her head to glance into the eyes of the group gathered around her, and a small smile slowly spread across her face.

"Is it over? I'm cured?" she asked, focusing on the lean demon standing patiently next to his master.

"Yes. You should get some rest, but you no longer have anything to fear of the moon." Claude nodded curtly, and Ashling grinned widely.

The other Shinigami, save for William, cheered and quickly undid the shackles securing the former werewolf to the mystic stone wall. She slumped forward, but Ronald caught her and hoisted her onto his back.

"Take Mrs. Ashling to her home and help her with anything she needs today. I'll get one of the other departments to take care of the work load." William said with a tiny smile.

"Aren't you going to come with us?" Eric asked.

"No. I need to speak with the leach for a moment." he shot a disgusted look at the smirking demon.

The other Shinigami exchanged concerned looks before nodding and walking away. William waited for the sounds of their cheery conversation and relieved laughter to fade before turning to face Claude. The demon smirked triumphantly at him, and William swallowed a lump of hatred before speaking.

"I suppose I should be thanking you for curing Ashling. Having a werewolf running rampant could have been very dangerous." he said smoothly.

"Indeed. I have kept my side of the bargain, Mr. Spears. Now I believe it is time for you to keep yours." Claude held his hands out expectantly, golden eyes serious.

William narrowed his eyes angrily, the weight of what he was about to do making him feel uneasy. Silver could sense the tension in the air and, feeling anxious herself, took a few steps away from the pair. She knew very well that demons and Shinigami were natural enemies, and it was difficult for them to compromise on anything.

William sighed and slid what looked like a small black book from an inside jacket pocket, holding it up importantly.

"This is Silver's Cinematic Record, all of her experiences and memories of past, present, and future. There is a lot of power in this book, and it should be treated with caution and respect." William emphasized before handing the book to the demon.

Claude nodded and tucked to book away into his tailcoat.

"I understand, and will treat it with as much respect as Silver herself. You will find this book in your personal mailbox when I no longer have need of it. Goodbye, Mr. Spears. May we never meet again." he said coldly.

William nodded.

"The same to you."

He watched as Claude led Silver away, and nearly smiled as she turned to give him a friendly wave of goodbye. If only he could save her from the fate that noxious monster had in store for her. She seemed to be an intelligent and friendly person. How she ended up in a contract with the beast was a curious mystery, but it didn't matter. She would be just another ravenous monster soon enough.

The worn-out Shinigami sighed and began the walk back to his office. He had a lot of paperwork to get done, and he was sure he would have plenty of overtime tonight. Damn.

**Sorry about the really short chapter (and the fact that I've not updated this in MONTHS)! I'm going to finish it in the next chapter, as I have too many fics open right now. College year two is approaching, and I am going to be dealing with classes, club leadership, psychology research, maybe work, and NaNoWriMo. Halp! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this! Allons-y~!**

**~Silver**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Completion**

A couple of months had passed since Claude had performed the Wolves-Bane Ritual, and life had certainly improved for young Ashling. On the first full moon after the bit of demonic magic had been performed, the group had eagerly taken the former werewolf out into a meadow in the forest (just in case). As the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, Ashling huddled anxiously in the shadow of a large tree. With a great deal of encouragement (and a final shove from Grell), Ashling stumbled out into the soft glow of the moon's light.

The Shinigami held their breath as they watched her. After a few minutes, that breath was released as nothing happened. Ashling turned back to grin happily at the others, tears of sheer joy brimming in her acidic green eyes. She gave a yelp of joy as Ronald rushed forward and pulled her into the best kiss if her life, and the other Shinigami cheered in equal elation at the ritual's success.

Now, Ashling was leaping across rooftops in the darkness of a moonless night, searching for her last soul of the night. The target was an elderly woman, bedridden with a terrible illness. She was set to die in a few minutes in a hospital bed of congestive heart failure. Ashling sighed as the tall white hospital building came into view, and quickly made her way inside.

The waiting room was full of people, some of whom Ashling had appointments with in just a few days. None of them stirred or glanced her way: it was for reapings like this that Shinigami had to make themselves invisible. She walked briskly to the elevator and rode it slowly up to the desired floor, mulling the reaping over in her head. The patient had been in a chemically induced coma for a couple of days, so this reaping would be a silent one. She needn't speak a word.

The door to the room slid open easily, and Ashling inhaled sharply. The woman was in her bed, breathing shallow and ragged, mouth slightly open and body shrunken. An elderly man and a young woman, both with tears in their eyes, stood on either side of the bed. The Shinigami felt a sharp pain in her heart: relatives of the dying woman. She could only imagine the pain this would cause them.

With a final sigh, Ashling strode forward and popped the blades out of her key-tar death scythe. She lifted it over her head and, hesitating for only a brief moment, brought it down on the woman's chest. The woman gave a final whimper of agony, then glowing reels of film spilled from the invisible wound. The other people in the room gasped and cried out, unaware of the cinematic record but well aware of their loved one's passing.

As the last trails of light filtered into the woman's file, Ashling stood over the empty body and watched the two other humans weep. There were rarely other people around when she collected a soul, so seeing such raw pain exposed was uncommon. She turned away sharply: it hurt.

Without a sound, Ashling fled the hospital and returned to the shadows outside. It was time to return to the Dispatch and turn in the day's files. She had a date with Ronald tonight, and didn't want to be late. She shook the pain from her mind and began the journey back to her office. It had been a long day, but relaxation and the desperate hatred of overtime drove her forward.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep and dark and secluded, a demon set up the final circle needed for the ritual he had been waiting so long to perform. He double, triple, and quadruple checked everything to make sure it was absolutely perfect. There could not be a single flaw or mistake: it could ruin everything he had worked so hard for. He turned his gleaming gold eyes toward his anxious master and nodded silently, the air full of tension.

"Alright. Now I need the book, and for you to stand in the very center of all of the circles, my lady." Claude said gently.

Silver nodded and handed the demon her Cinematic Record, striding carefully into the center circle and making sure she was positioned just right. Claude stared at her for a few moments, then sighed.

"I need you to stand completely still, my love. Do not move until I tell you that you can. Okay?" he asked for perhaps the hundredth time.

"Yes, Claude, I can handle it. Let's do this, you're making me nervous." the woman replied with a small, nervous smile.

Claude nodded and strode forward, flipping the book open. Strips of almost ghostly film spilled out, and Claude began chanting lowly in a language Silver couldn't even begin to understand.

"Is é seo an teaghrán go hiomlán randamach de na focail go súil agam go mbeidh cuma really cool sa teanga a roghnaigh mé." he muttered, his eyes turning a strange shade of purple as he spoke.

The strips of film writhed, then began to wind themselves around Silver's body, never once touching her. The circles around her glowed in various vibrant colors, and the film turned a deep red as it spun faster and faster around. Silver stood as still as possible, her blue eyes wide as she watched everything happeneing around her. Claude kept his concentration on the ritual, and muttered one final string of words.

"Focail de chumhacht, heed mo uacht."

There was a loud rumbling, then everything stopped. The glowing colors vanished, as did the film reels. Even the circles that had been drawn around Silver had disappeared. Claude's eyes slowly returned to their normal gold, and he set the Cinematic Record down on a table before carefully striding toward his master. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and he slowly lifted a hand to her face to life it toward him.

"Open your eyes." he said slowly, his voice calm.

Eyelids lifted languidly, revealing once blue eyes turned a deep red. Claude grinned victoriously before embracing her.

"Finally. Welcome, Silver, to the life of a demon."

**Yay! Everyone wins! I'm so glad to have finally finished this! One less thing on my plate! I really hope you guys liked it, and I hope it didn't end too abruptly!**

**~Silver**


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